


Something Different

by Lillio



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: 00Q - Freeform, 00q prompt exchange, Angst, Community: mi6_cafe, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, James Bond Angst, Life and Such at MI6, M/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2018-12-31 20:19:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12140340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lillio/pseuds/Lillio
Summary: Prompt: Bond reveals to a woman that the reason he can't go out with her is his longterm male partner (00Q, 00M, even 00Tanner would be good)An informant asks James to be something more, but he confesses that he has someone waiting for him at home. James can't help but feel guilty.





	Something Different

It was just past eleven, and James sat propped up against the headboard of a young woman’s bed, her tired body tucked into the crook of his arm. Her cheek was pressed against his chest, hair splayed out around her head in a messy halo. If he stayed like this, she might sleep the rest of the night. He knew from experience. But he couldn’t, not tonight. 

He carded a hand through her long black hair, gently combing through the knots it had fallen into. She roused herself, emitting a pleasant sort of murmur. She turned on her side to look up at him, and then blinking open sleepy eyes, rose to push herself up enough to steal another kiss. He kissed her, obligingly, and gently moved her from his chest. James swung his legs off the bed, but a hand on his wrist stayed him. 

“James. You don’t have to go.” She said, sitting up now.

He placed a hand over hers and carefully made to remove it from where it had settled.  
“I do.” He apologized. 

Her grip tightened. “We don’t have to keep doing this, you know.” 

James furrowed his brows. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“These one night stands. It doesn’t have to be like that. If you want to, you can stay.”

Ah. 

James shook his head. “Darling, that’s not going to be possible.” He said. He glanced subtly at the clock on the nightstand behind her. Q would be home in under an hour. He needed time to get back and shower. The perfume bothered him, not that he’d ever confess to it, but James would be a poor agent if he didn’t pick up on these things. And a poorer boyfriend still.

“I’m seeing someone.” He clarified, removing her hand with more firmness now.

Her eyes widened. “Seeing someone.” She repeated. “Does she know?” she asked, gesturing between the two of them with her eyes. 

“…He does.” James replied after a moment, softer than he expected it to come out. 

The young woman looked even further surprised, if that were possible. She brought the sheets pooled in her lap up to cover her chest, suddenly self conscious. “And …he doesn’t mind?” 

James faltered. He glanced again at the clock. “I…” he began, but words evaded him. “No,” he said eventually. “No. He understands.” He said, after a moment’s pause.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you." he said.

She just shook her head, waving him out. "Go on, then. Don't keep him waiting."

James just nodded and removed himself from her bed, gathering his clothes from the ground. 

On the way home, he wiped the lipstick from his cheeks, his throat, where it had smeared around his mouth. He glanced at himself in the rearview mirror and tried to straighten out his tousled hair.

When he arrived back, the flat was still dark. He heaved a sigh of relief. Q’s cats pranced up to rub against his pant legs. Begging, as usual. He set out a can of food, and hurried to the bathroom.

James could pick out Q’s footsteps on the stairs from anywhere. He hurried to the door to let him in in case he had his arms full with bags. 

“James.” He said, voice picking up in intonation as his mouth turned upwards at the corners. James took his laptop case and a few of the bags from his hands to help him carry them in. 

“How was your day, darling?” he asked, coming up behind Q to wrap his arms around his waist as he set down his things. His lips settled just behind Q’s ear.  
Q jolted, and then laughed, swatting at him. “You know how it was. Dealing with your kind all day.” 

James hummed in apology. 

“You shouldn’t have stayed up to wait for me. You have to be up in five hours. I should know—I scheduled the damned meeting.” He huffed.  
James shook his head. “I wanted to see you.” 

Q turned to kiss him properly. 

“Insatiable. Come to bed with me, then. I’d like to get at least a few hours of sleep.” Q laughed.

James dutifully got him out of his clothes well before they’d even reached the bedroom. Q folded underneath him, laughing as he was pushed down into the sheets. He pulled at James’ clothes, his fingers trembling over the buttons. James plucked the glasses from his face, which drew a grumpy humph. He replaced them with a kiss on each closed eyelid. Q grinned.

Q’s lips on his neck felt familiar, right. No combination of chemicals could hope to imitate the smell that was naturally Q. Even just the grate of his stubble was a welcome thing. 

Q stopped kissing him for just a fraction of a second, hovering over a new bruise on his throat. Presumably hoping James hadn’t noticed, he tried to continue, but James stopped him. 

“Q,” he tried, but Q just leaned up to kiss him. 

“It’s alright.” He said.

“You’re allowed to be upset, Q.” James breathed.

“I’m not. Honestly.” He said, more firmly now. “I know better than anyone what the job entails, James.” Q assured. Q tried to brush it off and kiss him again, but found James’ response lackluster. 

“What?” he asked, leaning back to look him over. Q stroked a few stray locks of his hair back from his forehead. “Do you want me to be upset?” 

James laughed, resting his head against Q’s hand on his cheek. “Honestly? Maybe I do.” 

Q shook his head. “I'm not. I know what you do. I know that you could have anyone--" James tried to cut him off, but Q hushed him.

"You know that you could. Look at you. But you chose me, didn't you?" he murmured.

"I suppose I did." James mused, allowing Q's smile to assuage some of his guilt.

"So this--you and I-- this is something different. And I don't have a thing to be jealous of, because I know that you're mine." he said. 

"I am." James found himself agreeing before he even had a chance to consider it. 

"Good." Q laughed, surprised at how quickly the concession had come. "But if you need me to be upset," he continued, "Then pretend that I am... and I’ll let you make it up to me.” He whispered, a thumb running its way down the stripe of skin that James’ open shirt left exposed. 

“Oh, I love you, Q.” James laughed.

“Show me, then.” He breathed, leaning in just close enough to sink his teeth into James’ lower lip.

James didn’t need further prompting. He rolled them over to shove Q onto his back. Q’s resulting laugh was cut off as the impact forced a puff of air from him. Whatever else he might’ve said was immediately cut off by James’ mouth on his. 

It was a miracle that they both made it to the meeting the next morning.


End file.
